Page 92 of A Translation of Desire
His sister rolled her eyes. “While I find Till annoying and stubborn, we would work fine with him.”
“So, you are saying that you would want to take on the dukedom’s responsibilities for four to six months so I could go explore ruins.”
His mother sighed. “If you love her and want to do that, then yes. You fill our house with antiquities from all over the world. Do you truly not want to see the places they come from?”
Traveling had been something he’d never even fathomed for himself. His father had died when he was just becoming a man,leaving very little time to pursue any interests outside of his ducal responsibilities.
“We say that you deserve happiness.”
He took another sip of his brandy before sighing. “You are the second person to tell me that today. I didn’t realize I was such an unhappy man.”
“Grumpy and priggish.” Willa smirked.
“Just think about it, Augustus. She is the only lady you have shown such care for since Catherine.”
In truth, he knew his feelings for Rose were so much more than anything he’d ever felt for Catherine. He would always care for his childhood love, but he now realized why she’d left him all those years ago. He understood what real love was.
Unfortunately, he also knew that he loved Rose enough to let her go if all of this would make her miserable. His predicament was not whether he loved her or not; it was whether he could really expect her to change her life for him.
“I will think about it,” he said, unwilling to share his concerns with them. That would make them all too real.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rose sat inthe office at Seely House, listening to Hawley explain how she was held by a well-known smuggler who’d heard the crazy rumor that the British Secret Service was using cuneiform. His explanation was riddled with half-truths, but she kept quiet. She wanted to put the whole saga behind her, and Augustus had assured her that this was a one-time incident for the scholar.
The Historical Society for Female Curators was just beginning to succeed. Whispers about spies and kidnapping would not benefit them. It was best to let the whole thing fade away until it was forgotten entirely. Her gaze flitted to Addie, wondering if she knew anything about her husband’s work with the British Secret Service—likely not.
She glanced at Augustus, who had been watching her since his arrival. Their eyes met, and her body, betraying her, hummed. His gaze subtly roamed down her form. He clenched a fist, and Rose suspected he was imagining his hands on her. At least, that was what she was envisioning.
“Rose, do you have any questions?” Addie asked.
She yanked her gaze away from Augustus to see everyone staring at her with concern. “Only thank you, Lord Hawley, for retrieving my tablets and research.”
Esme beamed, “Now you can finish deciphering the available portion of the epic.”
Yes, that would be Rose’s focus. “I hope to complete it in the next few weeks.”
“We still need to obtain the map. Lord Hawley, have you been able to speak with the vice president of your club about that?” Sarah asked.
“I’m working on it with Sinclair. We have a plan,” he provided.
Addie frowned at him. “I would like to speak with you separately about the map. If you could visit our townhouse sometime this week, that would be helpful.”
Hawley’s eyes widened. He appeared taken aback by her request. They had the weirdest relationship Rose had ever witnessed, though she suspected married lords and ladies leading separate lives weren’t that strange for theton.
He nodded. “As you wish.”
That seemed to silence the room, but finally, Lisbeth said, “So this means we can host another talk to explain what the last tablet contains?”
Addie nodded. “When Rose is close to deciphering, we will announce another talk.”
Now was the time to reveal her secret. She took a deep breath and said, “I think we should set up the talk for three weeks from now. I plan to leave shortly after that. I have an idea of where I can find the remaining tablets. I want to talk with Thomas Easton.”
If she thought it was quiet before, it was deafening now. Everyone stared at her in shock. Lisbeth said, “I didn’t realize you were planning to leave.”
Don’t look at Augustus, she told herself. “While being in London has been quite the adventure, I need to return to my actual work, which isn’t here.”
“What about safety?” Augustus asked harshly. She hoped she was the only one who picked up on it.
